Pope Threatens County Lawsuit

The gad just keeps flying: King County Council candidate Richard Pope is now threatening to sue county interim prosecuting attorney Dan Satterberg for - Pope's words - "refusing to enforce" county campaign laws. Pope, the contentious Democratic opponent of Republican council member Jane Hague, contends that the county Republican Central Committee has over-contributed to the campaign of Jim Nobles, the GOP candidate for King County Assessor. He cites disclosure records showing the committee has given Nobles $1,976.57, despite, he says, a law limiting contributions from a person or party to $1,400 per election cycle.

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Pope also released copies of e-mails between him and Satterberg in which the prosecutor admits he made a "rookie mistake" in depositing a $1,500 committee check into his personal bank account rather than his prosecutor's 2007 campaign account - the check was mistakenly made out to him personally; Satterberg said the error has been corrected. Pope has also complained to GOP state attorney general Rob McKenna about the GOP committee's apparent failure to timely file records of all its bank deposits.

Today Pope sent Satterberg what Pope says is the third of three letters since early September asking Satterberg to enforce the law as it applies to Nobles' campaign. "I am especially concerned that your office might not be enforcing the campaign contribution limits...because of political reasons," Pope wrote in his e-mail copied to county officials. "Mr. Nobles is a Republican and so you are [sic]. The KCRCC is supporting both Mr. Nobles and yourself in this election." Pope, noting that the law does not expressly prohibit citizens from taking action when a violation occurs, warned Satterberg he had ten days to file a lawsuit. If the prosecutor fails, "then I shall commence a lawsuit against yourself, the KCRCC and Mr. Nobles..."

A spokesperson for the county Republicans says that a complaint apparently from Pope has been filed with the state Public Disclosure Commission, but that the committee feels it has not exceeded the donations limit, based on the GOP's reading of state law.

UPDATE: The county GOP is striking back with a faux news page "reporting" on Pope's own legal problems and political travails, the Times' David Postman reports - including details of a goofy lawsuit against Costco over food discrimination! More here.